Electrolytic cell



Feb. 21, 1961 D. CAPACCINI ELECTROLYTIC CELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1958 FIGZ.

1961 D. CAPACCINI 2,972,573

ELECTROLYTIC CELL Filed Oct. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I United States Patent ELECTROLYTIC CELL Dante C-apaccini, Milan, Italy, assignor, by rncsne assignments, to Jetmould, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 770,162

2 Claims. (Cl. 204-275 The present invention relates to an electrolytic cell and, more particularly, to an electrolytic cell for galvanoplastic operations, particularly electromoulding, involving models of irregular shape and contour.

In electro-plating, and particularly in galvanoplastic and electromoulding operations, a uniform thickness of galvanic deposit on the work-piece is desirable. With work-pieces which are relatively flat and of relatively smooth contour uniform deposit may be easily attained. However, due to the nonuniformity of current density resulting from surface projections, it is diflicult to attain uniform deposit on the surface of a work-piece of irregular shape and contour.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide an electrolytic cell for electroplating which is adaptable for plating models of irregular contour.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrolytic cell in which the electrodes may be readily positioned and adjusted with respect to the article to be processed.

It is a still further object to provide an electrolytic cell which may be readily adjusted to receive articles of differ ent contour.

With these and other objects in mind reference is had to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of an articulated anode support along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the support along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the unit comprises a cell consisting of a cylindrical body portion 1 having spaced double walls terminating at their top in a protruding 'flat shoulder 2 and at their bottom in a bottom 3 provided with an opening 4. The space between the walls may be filled with a suitable insulating material, such as glass wool, and the opening 4 provided with a suitable valve, not shown. The cell is of a material which will not conduct electricity.

An annular ring 5 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the shoulder 2 and an inner diameter slightly less than that of the shoulder is positioned on the shoulder 2 and serves as a holder for the electrode supports as hereinafter described. The holder 5 is of a material which will not conduct electricity and may be either formed from such a non-conductive material or may be coated with such a material after it is formed. As best shown in Fig. 3, adjacent its inner diameter, the holder 5 is provided with a plurality of holes 8, each adapted to receive a post of electrically conductive material, the post 10 being threaded at its lower end and held in position in the holder 5 by a nut 12, a washer 14 of non-conductive material being positioned between a shoulder 16 on the post 10 and the upper face of the holder 5, one end of a strip 18 of concomplish the objects of this invention.

2,972,573 C Patented Feb. 21, 1961 other end to an electric tap 20 located adjacent the outer diameter of the holder 5. Intermediate its inner and outer diameters, the holder 5 is provided with an annular groove 24 (Fig. 4) in which is seated a cover or dome 2 6 of transparent plastic or other transparent material.

Each of the posts 10 are threaded to receive a thumbscrew 30, the thumb-screw 30 locking a support 32 in adjusted position on the holder 5. A clamp, generally indicated 34, is in adjustable engagement with the support 32 and comprises mating discs, 36, 38-, and thumbscrew 40, the disc 36 being provided with a threaded hole to receive the screw 40 and the disc 38 being provided with an unthreaded hole, slightly larger than the hole in the disc 36, a shoulder 42 on the screw 40 engaging the disc 38, clamping the two discs together on they support 32 as the screw 40 is tightened in the disc 36. The disc 36 is provided with a longitudinal groove to receive the support 32, the groove being ofi-set with respect to the screw 40, and the disc 38 is provided with a longitudinal groove to receive a rod 50, the rod 50 being threaded at its lower end to receive an electrode (not shown).

Adjacent its inner diameter, the holder 5 is provided with shafts 60 of non-conductive material which extend downward into the cell and are attached at their lower ends adjacent the bottom of the cell to a perforated tray 62, also of non-conductive material. As shown in Fig. 1, the holder 5 is provided with more posts than supports, the additional posts being provided to receive a connection or connections between the article to be plated and the electrical source. It is to be understood, however, that the posts 10 are identical and, with suitable electrical connection, can be used interchangeably to either hold an electrode support 32 or to connect the article to be plated with the electrical source.

In use, the article to be plated is positioned on the tray 62 and is connected by suitable wires 101 or other conductive means to one or more of the posts 10 (only one such connection being shown), the electrical tap 20 of each of such posts 10 being connected by a wire or other conductive means to one terminal of an electric source, the article to be plated serving as a cathode. The anode 102 of material'to be galvanically deposited on the article is threaded onto the lower end of rod 50 and the rods inserted in the clamps 34. Depending on the shape and contour of the article to be plated one or more anodes are used (one being shown in the drawing) and each is connected to one or more of the remaining posts 10, and are then adjusted in accordance with the surface and contour of the article through adjustment of the clamp 34 and thumb-screw 30. Each of the taps 20 of the posts 10 of such taps are then electrically connected by a wire or other conductive means to the other terminal of an electric source.

From the foregoing description, it Will be apparent that there are disclosed structural embodiments which ac- It is a primary feature of advantage that the electrolytic cell, when in use, is completely closed and that the apparatus is readily adaptable to receive articles of various shapes and contours for galvanoplastic operations and particularly electromoulding. Modifications and variations in detail will occur to those skilled in the art and it is the intention that the detailed disclosure herein shall be taken as descriptive and'illustrative, rather than in a limiting sense.

'What is claimed is:

1. An electrolytic cell for holding an article to be electroplated comprising a cylindrical cell having an open end and a closed end, and an outwardly extending shoulder at said open end, an annular holder of nonconductive material supported on said outwardly extending shoulder, said annular holder having an outer diameter substantially equalto the outer diameter of said shoulder and an inner diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of said shoulder, an annular groove in the upper face of said holder intermediate its inner and outer diameters, a cover supported in said groove, a tray spaced from the closed end of said cell and attached to said holder at the inner diameter thereof, a plurality of electrode supports connected at one of their ends for locked articulate adjustment to said holder intermediate said annular groove and said inner diameter, a clamp connected to the other end of each of said electrode supports and adjustable thereon, an electrode adjustably connected to said clamp, an electrical terminal attached to said annular holder intermediate said outer diameter and said groove, and an electrical connection between said electrode and said terminal.

2. An electrolytic cell for holding an article to be electroplated comprising a cell having an open end, a closed end and a transverse annular shoulder at said open end, said shoulder having an annular groove, a transverse annular holder of non-conducting material supported on said shoulder outwardly of said groove, said holder being spaced from said transverse shoulder, a cover supported in said groove, a tray supported in said cell, a plurality of electrode supports connected at one of their ends for locked articulate adjustment to said holder intermediate said groove and said inner periphery, a clamp connected to the other end of each of said electrode supports and adjustable thereon, an electrode adjustably connected to said clamp, a plurality of electricterminals attached to said holder outwardly of said groove, and electrical connections between each of said supports anda diiierent one of said terminals, said connections being disposed in the space between said shoulder and said holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hart June 1, 1 926 

1. AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL FOR HOLDING AN ARTICLE TO BE ELECTROPLATED COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CELL HAVING AN OPEN END AND A CLOSED END, AND AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDER AT SAID OPEN END, AN ANNULAR HOLDER OF NONCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDER, SAID ANNULAR HOLDER HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID SHOULDER AND AN INNER DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID SHOULDER, AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE UPPER FACE OF SAID HOLDER INTERMEDIATE ITS INNER AND OUTER DIAMETERS, A COVER SUPPORTED IN SAID GROOVE, A TRAY SPACED FROM THE CLOSED END OF SAID CELL AND ATTACHED TO SAID HOLDER AT THE INNER DIAMETER THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODE SUPPORTS CONNECTED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS FOR LOCKED ARTICULATE ADJUSTMENT TO SAID HOLDER INTERMEDIATE SAID ANNULAR GROOVE AND SAID INNER DIAMETER, A CLAMP CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID ELECTRODE SUPPORTS AND ADJUSTABLE THEREON, AN ELECTRODE ADJUSTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID CLAMP, AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL ATTACHED TO SAID ANNULAR HOLDER INTERMEDIATE SAID OUTER DIAMETER AND SAID GROOVE, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE AND SAID TERMINAL. 